“When I came to Boston College, everything was new to me,” says René Jones ’86, P’25. “We didn’t come from a well-off family, or one with business connections; my father was a sergeant first class in the army.”

Jones grew up the youngest of six children in a biracial household in Ayer, Massachusetts. Inspired to attend BC’s Options Through Education program (recently renamed the McCrory-Francis Scholars Program) by his eldest sister, a BC Law graduate, Jones’s experience that summer and during his time at BC shaped his life and career in profound ways. 

“I was trying to figure out how to become an accountant and get a job. It wasn’t until later that I realized what had happened,” he recalls. “BC was actually teaching me how to wrestle with enduring questions, tackle problems, and live in community. When I look back, I see formation in action.”

Now more than 40 years since he arrived at the Heights, Jones is a BC trustee and chairman and chief executive of M&T Bank, making him one of only a handful of Black CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. His wife, Brigid Doherty ’96, P’25, is a University regent, and the couple serve as co-chairs of Soaring Higher: the Campaign for Boston College and philanthropic partners with BC.

During her college search, Doherty faced firsthand the staggering cost of a college education: accepting admission to BC meant taking on tens of thousands of dollars of debt, even as she knew the University would open a world of possibilities for her. Today, as philanthropists and volunteers, Doherty and Jones focus on expanding access to BC’s uniquely formative education, especially for those from marginalized and underrepresented populations. 

“Something René and I often talk about is that you don’t know what you don’t know. If you’ve never met a doctor, it hardly occurs to you that you could be one,” says Doherty. “So we have to be cognizant of people’s backgrounds, and the necessity of broadening their opportunity set to help them reach their potential.”

Strong advocates for increasing giving among alumni of color, Doherty and Jones lead by example. In the summer of 2024, it was announced during the RECONNECT III alumni gathering that the couple will establish the RECONNECT III Scholarship to support need-based financial aid for BC students of African, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American (AHANA) descent. 

While the gift from Doherty and Jones fully funds the scholarship, anyone who wishes to lend their support may add to it. The couple hopes it serves as a rallying point for engagement and increased investment in BC from the AHANA alumni community. 

“Given that BC is a need-blind university, we’ve got to recognize the importance of philanthropy in providing the best and brightest with an opportunity to attend BC. And for the entire student body to benefit from the diversity of ideas, people, and backgrounds—it’s critically important to a liberal arts education as well as the mission of BC,” says Doherty. 

Jones’ long and successful career in finance is a testament to the ways a BC education can expand one’s horizons. In April 2025, Jones will be awarded the President’s Medal of Excellence at the Boston College Wall Street Business Leadership Council Tribute Dinner for his generosity, leadership, and myriad accomplishments. 

“Back in the ’80s, the African American community at BC was really very small. But the University is in a very different place than when we attended—it’s extraordinary how far we’ve come,” says Jones. “It’s heartening to see the small progress you make every year lead to something really special in the end.”